Automobile-starter.



BEST 1V COF! W. B. SPBIGE.

AUTOMOBILE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 13, 1911.

Patented June 4, 1912.

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w. B. SPEIGBi y AUTOMOBILE STAR'IER.v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1911.

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WILBERT B. SPEICE, PAYNE,"OHIO.

AUToMoBILE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. l Patented June 4, 1912.

.- Application filed September- 18,'19'11; Serial No. 649,040.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, "WILBERT B. Senior, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Payne, in the county of Paulding-and State -f of Ohio, have invented new and useful Imy provements in Automobile- Starters,v of( which the followin-gis a specification.v

The primary purpose of this invention is to devise novel means whereby the engine of an automoblle or other vehicle may be started by the operator when seated, thereby avoiding the objections vincident to starting an engine of the explosive type when used as the motive power for4 propelling theve- The present invention contemplates. a spring which is wound bythe engine when in-motion, the spring winding mechanism being automatically thrown out of action when the spring has been wound to the` predetermined degree, ythereby preventingoverwinding or thev 'breakingor straining Aof parts.

The invention further contemplates the` provision of means whereby the 'force' stored in4 the spring maybe utilized for starting Y the engine, clutch and brake devices of unique structure being employed in conjunction with the spring and spring winding mechanism'to enable the desired result to be attained in anefective and efficient manner. f

The invention consists of the novelffea tures, details of construction and combina-- tion of parts, whichv hereinafterA 'will -bey more particularly setI forth, illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims? Referring to the drawings, forming a. part of l the specification, 'Figure 1 isa vtop plan vie'w of partofthe chassis of an automobile or like vehicle provided with start"- ing mechanism embodying' the i.nventiom` Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of the starting. mechanism on the line of Fig. 1. Fig.v 3 is a perspective view of th'e friction'wheel for transmitting power from the wheels@v cured to the engine shaft to the wheel for winding the power spring, showing thev parts intimatelyA associated therewith. Fig.

4 isa longitudinal section of theclutch sleeve and clutchA wheel, together with a part of theengine .shaft 'and the clamp,

showing the partson a' larger scale. Fig.. 5

7-7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of Fig. l.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and by the same reference characters.

, The engine shaft is indicated at 1- and is provided with a wheel 2 which vis secured thereto in any manner to rotate therewith. -Thev wheel 2 has a bevel face and is provided upon one side with clutch teeth or lthe engine-shaft 1 to move longitudinally thereon and toadmit -of the shaft turning freely therein. The inner Jend of the sleeve is, provided with clutch teeth or jaws 5 -to engage with the clutchA teeth or jaws 3, whereby when the clutch sleeve 4 is turned to start the engine the sha-ft 1 willhave a corresponding movement imparted thereto. .A helical spring 6 mounted upon the engine shaft 1 and confined between a cross bar 7 and the outer end ofv the sleeve 4 normally exerts a pressure to move the sleeve 4 inward and bring the clutchA teeth 5 into en- "gagementwith the' clutch teeth 3. An annu- 1 the engine-is running the sleeve 4 is held out- `(rffthe clutch-teeth or jaws?, bv means of a `clamp which tits in the annularfg'roove. 8. The clamp is. shown most clearly` inFig. 5 and comprises .an upper member 9 and a lower `member 10, both members being of a t .c neof their eindsto each; other and to a braeket=.11, which latter is secured to a side i bar.. .of the chassis. Each of the members 9 and- ,10"} hae. 'an portion` Vj notched to fitabout the sleevfeg'4.,l the notched portion `being beveledglas indicated "at 12, to ride upon the bev- 's own most' clearly in Fig. 4. The pa-rts are 'so arranged vthat when the teeth of the 'clutch sleeve Ltare clear ofthe teeth 3 `of the wheel 2 the members of the clamp snugly fitv within the groove 8, as indicated most c':learly 1 in Fig. '2, thereby enabling the en- -gine shaft andr wheel 2 to rotate without producing anynoise whichgwould result if the clutch teeth 3 and 5 were permitted to is across section onithe line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is al cross section on the line 6,-6 of' kmembers -91 'and 10 together.- Links 14 are indicated in all the views of the drawings,

jaws 8. A sleeve 4 is mounted loosely upon 'lar groove 8 is formed in` the sleeve near itsv outer end, one' wall of the groove being' straight and the other wall inclined. When Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is across section on the line Award withlthe clutch teethorjaws 5 clear simjlar'construction andfpivotally connected f -ejed-.orfinclned wallf the groovev 8, as f iin engage. A.sp'ring .13 normally drawsthe pivotally connected at their outer ends to the extremities of the clamp members 9 and 10 and incline inwardly and are pivotally connected at their inner ends. A cord or iexible connection 15 is attached to the inner ends of the links 14 and after passing over one or more guide pulleys 16 is attachedto a lever 17 within convenient reach of the operator, whereby force may be applied to separate the members 9 and 10 and thereby release the vsleeve 4 which is pressed forward by thespring 6 to bring the clutch members or jaws 3 and 5 into engagementpreliminary to starting the engine.

A wheel 18 is mounted upon the sleeve 4 and has a feather and spline connection therewith to admit of the sleeve moving longitudinally through the wheel into and out of clutched engagement with the wheel 2. A hub 19 extends outwardly from a side of wheel 18 and is formed with an annular groove near its outer end to receive a cross bar 20, whereby the wheel 18 is prevented from having" any movement in the length of the shaft 1 or sleeve 4, but is free to -rotate. A spiral spring 21 is mounted upon a part of the hub 19 and has oneend secured thereto, the outer end of said spring being connected to one end of a lever 22 by means of a strap or like flexible connection 23.

' The spring 21 is of suiiicient strength to start the engine after being wound. A barrel or housing 24 incloses the spring 21 and has an opening for the passage of the flexible connection 23, a roller 25 bei ng located tact of the connection 23 with thepart of the barrel bordering upon. the opening. The lever 22 is fulcru'med intermediate of its ends to a cross bar 26.

.A bevel wheel 27 is mounted in a flat spring 28 and its stub shaft is connected with a block or like part 29, which is pivotally connected to one endA of the lever 22, an operating lever 30 being connected to said block. The wheel 27 -is of the bevel type and is adapted to engage the bevel faces of the wheels 2 and -18 so' as to transmit motion trom the wheel 2 to the` wheel 18 for Winding up the power spring 21. After the spring 21 has been' wound to the predetermined point the outerend of the-lever 22 is drawn upon to elevate the opposite end of said lever and lift the wheel 27 out of engagement with the wheels 2 and 18 against the tension of the spring 28. The operating lever- 30 is provided with a tooth 31 to engage a ratchet tooth so as to hold the wheel 27 clear of the wheels 2 and 18.

It is necessary to hold the wheel 18 from turning backward when the spring 21 is wound and this is eii'ected by means of a brake, which asI shown consists of a band arranged to engage a straight portion of f5? t-iewheel 18, the ends of the brake band being attached to a lever 33, which extends within convenientreach of the operator. The brake band 32 is shown attached to a block 34,- which in turn is connected by means of a link 35 to a bracket 36 projecting from a Then the spring 21 is wound the lever 33 is moved to set the brake band to prevent .unwinding of the spring, said lever engaging'a toothed plate 37.

assumed that the parts are arranged substantially as herein disclosed and that the power spring 21 is wound, the brake being set and the sleeve 4 being held out of' clutched engagement with the wheel 2 by means of the clamp. Then it is-required to start the engine the flexible connection 15 is drawn upon to separate the members 9 and 10 of the clamp, thereby releasing the sleeve 4 which is moved by rthe spring engagement,v after which the lever 33 is moved to release the brake, thereby permitting the spring 21 to unwind and to turn the wheel 18, sleeve 4 and the wheel 2, with the result -that the engine Vis started. After the engine gets under 'headway the wheel 2 rotating faster than the sleeve 4 will cause the teeth 3 to ride upon the teeth 5 of the sleeve 4 and move the latter outward to a position to cause the beveled portions of the clamp members 9 and 1'04 to engage the beveled or inclined wall of the groove 8, as indicated in Fig. 4, when the tension of the spring 13 will draw the clamp members to- .get-her and cause a further outward move- 'ment of the sleeve 4 by reason of the beveled portions 12 of the clamp members riding on the beveled or inclined .wall of the groove 8, thereby causing the clutch teeth orjaws 5 to completely clear the teeth 3 of the. wheel 2, as indicated in Fig. 2. The lever 30 is now operated to admit of the spring 28 pressing the wheel 27 into engagement with the bevel faces of the wheels 2 and 18, with the result that the wheel 18 is rotated to wind up the spring 21 and when said spring reaches the predetermined tension the outer end of the lever 22 is drawn upon, thereby lifting the wheel 27 from engagement with the wheels 2 and 18, at which time the brake `is applied to prevent backward rotation of the wheel 18 and an unwinding of the spring 21, thereby setting the starting mechanism for the next operation.

From the foregoing. description, taken'in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages ofthe construction and o the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while IE have described the principle of operation ot the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the embodiment thereof,

side bar of the machine frame.`

'1s In the operation of the invention it is toV throw the clutch teeth or jaws 5 and 3 into i I desire to have it understood thattne de# Vice shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what i is claimed as new, is :-A

l. In engine starting mechanism, the combination of the engine shaft, a starting member adapted to make clutched engagement with the engine shaft, apower spring..\ two v, wheels the one fast to the engine shaf and character described, the combination of the f..

" the other having connection l'with the starting member and adapted to wind the power spring, a third wheel adapted to transmit motion from one of the two wheels to the other for winding the power spring, and means connecting the third wheel with the power spring to throw said third wheel out of engagement with t-he 'two wheels when the power spring has been wound to thea predetermined point. y

In englne startlng mechamsm of4h the engine shaft, a starting' member adapted to make clutched engagement with the engine sliaftwheels, the one secured to thee'ngine shaft and thevother splined to 'the starting member, a power spring having connection with the last mentioned wheel, a third Wheel for transmitting motion from one wheel to the other, and .connecting means between said ,third4 wheel and power spring for automatically throwing the wheels out of engagement when the power spring has been 'wound to thepredetermined point.

3. In engine starting mechanism .of the characterdescribed, the combination of the engine shaft, a starting member adapted to make clutched engagement' therewith, a wheel fastened to the engine shaft, a secondy lWheel splined to the starting member, a third -wheel adapted to transmit motion from one to the other of the before mentioned wheels, a spring supporting said third wheel,v a power 'spring having' one end connected with thevv wheel mounted upon the starting member, and a lever having one end con-' starting member, a third wheel for connect- A ing the -two wheels to transmit movement from one to the other,` a power spring having one end connected with Vthe wheel loose upon the starting member, connecting means between the opposite end of thel power spring and said third wheel for automatically throwing the latter' out of engagement `with the first mentioned wheels after the power spring has been wound to the pre determined point, and a brake 'adapted to hold the wheel mounted upon the starting member to prevent unwinding of the power spring substantially as and for the purpose speoilied.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILBERT B.' SPEICE. Witnesses:

J. I). SPEIUE, B. C. BEDINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtain'efhor five cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. Q, 

